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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — low music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. drill — army training
  8. land — ground
  9. degree — temperature
  10. drill — a practice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. object — to protest
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. object — a thing
  22. land — to come down
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com